Pressing machine head control



June 7, 1949. H. D. FORSE 2,472,656

PRESSING MACHINE HEAD CONTROL Filed June 5, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 PI-la? 53 L Z 6 o o J :3 -9 4/ 40 ,0 O 5g 65 34 o INVENTOR. AAl J. Ems:

June 7, 1949. H, D, F RSE 2,472,656

PRESSING MACHINE HEAD CONTROL Filed June 5, 1941 v 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 7, 1949. H. D. FORSE 2,472,656

PREESSING MACHINE HEAD CONTROL 7 Filed June 5, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented June 7, 1949 U NIT ED STAT ES PATENT GF'F [CE PRESSING MACHINE HEAD GQMRGL Harry D. Forse; Anderson, Ind;

Application June 5 ,1941; SerialNo. 396 ,67 8

12 Claims. (CL file-2 1) This: invention relates: to a press. of the 33 mentpressing type: and wherein there is pro!- vided a buck; and cooperating head member, the head; being, movable toward andaway from the huckfor. pressing: and non-pressing.

present. invention is. more particularly d-i.- rooted to the headcontrol.

The chief object. of this invention is: to pro.- vide a press: at the; aforesaid general character with a. control. such that; the head, following: initial pressing application, through the con-h tinuation Qffthee control imp an extra or: extrapressure to thehuckl Another chief object. of the: invention. is to provide a. control for the head. such. that, followingv the expiration, of. the pressing interval, the; head automatically released; and returned to. the open position.

The chief feature of the invention consists. in. providing a control arrangement. fora, pressing head whereby the aforesaid oh J'ects may be accompl-ishedi Other objects: and: fieatures of the invention will he set forth more:- fully hereinafter more particularly with reference to the following:

First, the provision of the. head control. such that the extra squeeze above. mentioned is,- accomplished; second, the timing. device. for; automatically releasing the; head pressing: engagement following; the expiration of the predate-r mined pressing, interval, and third, the arrangement whereby the head may be automatically opened. or elevated as. well as manually whenever desired or. required.

The full nature. oi the invention will be: um derstoodfrom the accompanying; drawings; and; the following description andclaims:

In. the drawings, Fig.. 1 is a. side eleuational view of the upper portion of a press embodying;- the invention, same being viewed, from the right handv side, the head being, in the closed. or final pressing position, certain of. the. parts being, broken away to show other parts in section. and; in greater detail, thelhand. guardandtiming device and associated mechanism not appearing, inv this view.

Fig; 2 is a. view corresponding, to Fig. 1 butwlth; the hand guard and. timing mechanism inoludedi.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to. Fig. 2 but withthe hand guard in slightly elevated position.v

Fig. 4 isv a view' of the upper part of the press. structure looking at the left hand; side of the press, the head being shown in full open position and the guard; and. associated mechanism: bein illustrated in detail;

5 is a. dlaarazmnatic plan. view or the tea oi the press; andiis included to show the general. construction of press proper, certain. uppermmost elements: such. as the timing; device and. guard retahnm: means being; omitted for clear-'- ness.

Figs 6 is a side elcvational view on an enlarged; scale of the timing, mechanism the motor being omitted, but. same is illustrated in 2 and 3h Fig. '1" isa view taken. at right angles; theretoor. looking; atthe same from the back. or the press.

Fig, it is a. top: plan view of: the mechanism shown in Figaro and'l;

This invention. is an improuement upon.. the presses illustrated. described in the copendiins; applications entit1eet,,.Press machine. Seriai Not 31Q 50.Q,, filedDecembei: 22,, 1939, now Pat-.- ent. lilov 13005541., dated. November 3, 1942, and. Multiple pressure press and control therefor." eri l No. 144225,. filed Iii-311313513, 194:1. The present application, therefore, is. similar to said; applicationsinthat-thepresent. method of. mountmg. the head basicalln: is. common. with. thosev at. the two beforementioned applications. and. each.

head. is snrirw. constrained to. open position and is. moved to closed andpzessing position by means. of a power cylinder and; piston structure. although it is noted. that in the first mentioned.'applica-- tion. the; power for. moving the head toward. the buck and into. pressingposltion isoi treadle. type as. distinguished from cylinder. and piston structure operation. shown in the latter application. andherel'n. 1

In Fig. I. ofthe drawings, I'll indicates a. suitable base structure from which. extends upwardly... a neck portion lf mountings buck I2 suitably: paddedxorcoveredas at 1.3. This is a conventional, representation. Adapted-for cooperation;

therewithis. a pressing; head; structure M. and

sincethe invention is not related to the details. of this head and: the application. ofheat and steam: for steaming and; vacuum. for suction, et cetera; a description of the detailed; construction ofthehead'and the several" pipe-connections thereto is lntentlonallyonnttem.

Extending upwardly and rearwardly fromthe base structure H? is a pair of frame members LI; which are spaced apart. Extending across betweenthe members is the shaft to and pivotallsr' mounted thereon is a'lever member IT which more.

or less appears as a plate in Fig; 5. memberfs recessedas at 8 at the rear'end and a shaft f9. brtdeineffsald recess mounts a roller 20* or cam follower, which is adapted to ride upon: a. cam memberll carried? by a cam support 21? pivoted on the cross member 23 anchored at opposite ends in the side frames [5. The cam member is adjustably supported by the cam support 22 and secured in the adjusted position by means indicated at 24 and 24a. The details of the adjustable mounting is omitted for clearness for it may be conventional.

The rearward and upper end of the cam support member 22 is pivotally connected as at 25 to an adjustable'pis'ton rod 26 :which--.mounts a piston, not shown, within a power cylinder 21. When pressure is applied to the lower end of the cylinder, the same is imposed on the piston and the rod 26 is elevated to the extent noted in Fig. 1, which throws the head l4 forwardly. and downwardly into buck engagement.

In this upward counterclockwise movement of the cam 2|, the roller 29 is moved thereon and the points between anddesignated by numerals 28 and 29 constitute the operating range of the dam. The opposite end of the follower'supporting plate or lever structure I! is recessed as at 30 and a shaft 3| extends across the recess and pivotally mounts in the recess one end of the link 32. The other end of this link 32 is pivotally mounted on a shaft member 33 carried by the head control lever member 41. 'A head support 34 is pivoted on the same shaft 23 which pivots the cam support member. I This member 34 is extended rearwardly as at 346; and pivotally associated therewith as at 35 is an adjusting bolt structure 36 which is associated withan extension or tension spring 3'! suitable anchored at its lower end as shown in Fig. 5 and to the base structure it]. The nut 38 also is provided for adjustment This spring 31 is the main power springfor returning the head from the closed to the open position. The cylinder 21 and the "piston therein together with the piston rod 25, is the main power for moving the head from the open to the closed and buck engaging position. I

The two forward ends of the spaced members 34 are connected together by an open type housing arrangement and the same is provided with flanges 4Elsee Figs. 2 ands-and the several bolts 46 constitute adjustable stop and connections between said housing and, the head l4. Within the housing 39 and mounted on member 42 is a bellcrank 43. One end of said bellcrank rotatably supports the member 44 and this member is threaded and mounted inthe threaded aperture in the screw 45. The lower end of this screw is similarly associated with the member 46 pivotally mounted in one end of the member 41. Lock nuts 48 definitely locate the. member 41 with respect to the shaft 44. This is one adjustable (ionnection between the head construction and the head supportarrangement. .The member 41 also is pivotally supported on the shaft 23 and it mounts the shaft 33to which theforward and lower end of the link'32 is pivotally mounted.

{The lower and forward end of the bellcrank 43 pivotally supports at 49 the forward end of an adjusting rigid structure 53, the rearward end of which is pivotally supported at 5| upon the forward and downwardly directed arm extension 52 of the cam support member 22. As the cam support member is caused to be elevated by the power piston, the lower end or arm portion rotates countjerclockwise downwardly and rearwardly and this in turn rocksthe bellcrankfit counterclockwise so that as a result of this action after-the main power application has lowered the head into pressing engagement-with the buck, said head applies an extra squeeze to the buck. The rela- 4 tionship is such between the lever 41, the rod 50, the bellcrank, bolt and the arm 34 together with the toggle structure including the lever member I! and the link 32, that when the toggle structure is almost in a straight line, the cam from the point 28 to the point 29 merely maintains the toggle in approximately straight line position and during this maintained condition and for additional travel of the piston in the power cylinder, the extra pressure or squeeze is applied by means of the bellcrank 43 and the adjustable rod structure 50.

The aforesaid constitutes the support of the .head and its primary power for returning the same from pressing position to the open position and for moving the same from open position toward the buck and into initial pressing position and then from the initial pressing position into the final pressing position to secure the so-called squeeze action.

In order to protect the operator's hands from injury there are provided two forwardly extending arms 53. On arms 34 are two arms 53 pivotally mounted as at 54 at their rear ends and their forward ends are joined together by a cross member portion 55, see Fig. 5, which extends laterally in opposite directions and terminates in the rearwardly and outwardly directed guard members 56. Above the cross member 55 and connecting the two plates 56 is the web type guard 57. The portion 55 between the portions 53 is a conventional hand gripping portion for manually controlling the head, although, of course, the lateral extensions at either side of the members 53 can also serve as hand control structures but in any event, the operator is prevented from having the hands engaged and injured between the buck and head by reason of the guard described.

Reference now will be had to Fig. 3 wherein there is illustrated the several parts in an intermediate position preliminary to the timing device raising the guard 56 and the power control for the pressure supply is approximately half open. As shown in Fig. 3 there is mounted on the housing 39 a minor housing 60 in which is mounted a mercury switch 6| that controls a line 62 to a. motor indicated generally by the numeral 63. This motor consequently has its circuit energized when the head is down as shown in Fig. 2, and this motor thereupon proceeds to rotate and the extent of the rotation is determinable by a contacting gear arrangement, as it were. When the proper amount of rotation has occurred, the arrangement is slightly elevated from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the position shown in Fig. 3.

At this time, as aforesaid, the pressure supply to the power cylinder 21 is cut off and the power cylinder is vented so that the main return spring 31 is effective for opening the press or for raising the head to the open position. When the head has reached a certain position in its opening movement, the motor circuit through the mercury switch is broken and motor rotation ceases. As previously stated, the handles 53 of the guard structure are pivoted at 54 and said pivots 54 are carried by the head supporting member 34 pivoted at 23 on the frame I5.

The numeral 64, see Fig. 2, indicates a valve and mufller assembly in which 65 is the intake valve exposed stem and 66 is the exhaust valve exposed stem and 61 is the muffler. It will be noted the portion 53a by which the arm 53 is mounted on the shaft 54 is provided with a pair aecaeee 31 of adjustably mounted stem actuating bolts 68. and E9 cooperating with the stem and 6.9 cooperating with. the stem 66. By this: means, as set forth detail in the. copending application last mentioned, proper timing or valve operation is obtained.

Also it. will be observed that valve operation is independent at head position. so that the. press. may be manually controlled. through the guard and handle structure. as hereinafter pointed out.

Rigid with they shaft 54--see Figs. 6 to 8 inclusi ve-is. an arm 10; This arm 10 includes a. shoulder! I. It also is. apertured as at 12. There is pivotally supported on the member 13: therein the bracket 1:4. This bracket 14 has portion 14a apertured as at 1:5. and threadedly mounted therein. is an adjustable. bolt or stop 16 locked by means of the nut The bolt 16 is adapted; to engage the shoulder it when the bracket. i4-

is tilted clockwisev on its. pivot [3. The bracket M. is normally constrained into slightly counterclockwise tilted relation. by means: of the spring Mk concentric with the stop portion of the bolt 7-5 and. having its upper end bearing on the bracket 14a and its lower end. bearing. on the shoulder LL. Shoulder 14h rigidifies members 1.0 and Ht at:v 10a.

The bracket, 1.4 at. its upper end is provided with a laterally enlarged. portion 19, see Fig. 5., and this; portion. ill on one face. is provided with arcuately arranged. serrations. 80. The portion 1:9; is-apertured as. at. 8.! and mounted therein is the. pivot member 8.2. This member 82 rotatably supports a circular disc-like member 8.3 which is. provided with a peripheral series of complementary confronting serrations 84, the twoseries or serrations. 8,0. and 84 normallylocking with each. other. in the adjusted. position. This adjustment regulates the time interval of pressing.

0n thev shaft 82 is mounted a. gear 85. which, however, is of segmental or mutilated. character and. atangential rack. formation 85, having. teeth. BIf identical to teeth 85,, constitutes the operating extension. The. combination segmental. gear and rack includes an arm 88 extending toward. the. bracket i=9; Themember 83 includes an arm portiom 89, carried by the plate-like member 8t,v projecting toward the rack. These arms. 88 and. 881 constitute cooperating stops.

Interposed between. the segmental, gear and the. plate 83 is a. coil clock spring. having one. end. 9t anchored to the. aforesaid abutment 88. The other end of the spring is suitably anchored. to. themember 83 at 02.

They motor structureindicated by 03, incorporates a. reduction drive (notshown) and rotates the shaft 9.3 which mounts: the pinion 94. The spring. 10 normally tilts: the: bracket Hi sothat the segmental gear 85 normally tends to, mesh with the pinion 94 when the guard is brought. down because the guard 56 and the member 11.0 have the common. shaft 5.4. The spring 90; cushions such gearengagement and. permits the teeth. tofreely mesh. When the motor circuit is closed. by switch Bl, therefore, and the meshing: engagement is effected, the pinion 94. serves to rotate the-gear 85. As longas the-gear 85 meshes; with the motor pinion andnone, of the rack teeth 81 mesh. with. the pinion,. the control of the exhaust valve isnot affected. When, however, the motor pinion starts to mesh, with the rack teeth, the. entire structure is rigidified, as it were, by reason of the stop 16 engaging shoulder H of thearm 10.. So that, the. entirestructure tilts bodily and inthat tilting; the shaft. 54 is; rotated and in 61 such a manner that. the. exhaust valve. opened: hence, the amount of motor pinion rotation on. the rack teeth 01 is always constant in; order to open the exhaust valve.- However, the; amount of gear teeth rotation. may vary'as: follows:

Wheneven. it. is. desired to vary this: interval and hence vary' the: pressing interval, the connecting means including the nut',.et cetera, shown in. Fig- 8', is. loosened sufiicient to free theteeth. 80 from. the. teeth 84; and thus the: two serrated members may be: bodily separated in the direc.-- tion of the axis oi the support 82 and; thence rotated clockwise. or counterclockwise to obtain the desiredinitial: position of the gear 85'. When. this adjustment has been effected; the mounting,- is reconnected and secured and hence, the press: interval is: correspondingly adjusted.

The purpose. of the. clock spring is as follows: When. the gear 8.5 been meshed with the. motor pinion 94', the segmental gear and rack. structure is rotated counterclockwisesee Fig. 6.for the purpose. described. Upon effecting that purpose, the head; structure is released from. its pressure application maintaining it inthe closed or buck engaging position and is released to the opening spring. 3:! and thehead opens. In. this movement the segmental gear and rack automatically disen-gages from the motor pinion 94 and upon. such; disengagement, the clock spring, which has: been. previously wound in motor 63 rotation, has power stored therein sufiicient to return the gear and rack to initial or starting position. This is determined by the engagement.- oi the: abutment 88. with the. stop. 89; as shown in Figs. 6- to.- 8 inclusive; hence, the rack and seg:- mental. gear are returned to original or starting position.

Reference now will be had to Fig. 4 and in said figure, the left hand: end of the press is viewed. In this figure, there isillustrated a com-- bination cam. and track lever 94b pivoted at 95: upon the left hand member 34 supporting the: head M This. member 941). has anofiset portion 96 with the high point 96a. The member has.

an; angular end 94a to-which is connected a spring.

91 the same having an adjustable connection 98 with bracket 99: on themember 34. The left hand arm 53 of the guardstructurehas an extension. M0 and pivotally supported thereon adjacent the combination; member 94b06 is a roller I0.-l-.

It will be observed that the spring 91 normally constrains the combination lever cam 9422 into roller-contact at. all times. It will be remembered that. the.- right. hand arm 53: is connected to the shaft 54 by means of the fixture 53a that controlsv the. valves;. in turn. controlling the application. and release of pressure to and from, respectively, the power cylinder- In this Fig. 4' theleft hand arm 53. includes the element [02 which includes the extension I00. This extension I00 is. slotted as at L03 and the roller: H) l, before men-.- tioned, is adjustably mounted in this slot. Therefore, the desired action in connection with the camv lever 94b is obtainable. therebetween. This desired action is as follows:

The roller. when. adjusted effectively acts as a guard retaining member because the spring 9?!- holds the roller in position above. or below the hump 95a and hence, also holds. the handle 53 and the entire guard structure inopen or closed; position; in other: words; elevated or lowered, respectively;

It also? will be recalled the: shaft. 54 mounts:

to the arm. 10; upon which. there is pivoted the. arm,

'14 to which one end of the clock spring is operatively secured at 92. As previously set forth, the purpose of the stop 16 and the spring 18 is to permit the gear 85 to mesh with the motor pinion 92 without damaging the teeth of either and the associated mechanism. After the meshing is effected, the stop 16 first engages the shoulder H and thereafter rotation of the motor pinion 94 secures rotation of the gear 85 independent of any movement of member 14. This, since the structure is now unitized, results in the entire structure, including the arm 10, rocking the shaft 54 for valve opening. Thus timing is effected by raising the guard. Opening of the press by raising the head l4 through the power spring 3! is permitted when the power pressure is released.

Note, that between the gear-rack and motor pinion there is a separable type of operative connection. Also between the cam lever and roller between the guard and head support is a yielding connection. Hence, the guard may be manually actuated to open as well as close the press in addition to the automatic holding and releasing functions described.

From the foregoing it will be understood that the guard moves with the head and is movable relative thereto as well, the relative movement being utilized for control purpose. Whenever any portion of the operators body is engaged sufficient to prevent movement in unison of the head and guard, the latter, in the head closing movement, effects cessation of head closing movement and thus the head is permitted to return to open position. The latter is efiected by control of the power pressure for closing and release to the opening spring in the present embodiment.

'While the invention has been illustrated and described in great detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character.

The modification described herein as well as others which will readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in this art, all are considered to be within the broad scope of the invention, reference being had to the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. In a press a head support movably mounted for moving a pressing head toward and away from a buck, a tiltable guard structure for controlling support movement, means for locking said guard structure in guarding position and said support in pressing position during pressing engagement, time controlled means for tilt- 1 ing the guard structure from guarding position and for releasing the support for head opening, said guard locking means including a structure movable overcenter, and a constraint means for maintaining a portion of the overcenter movable structure in either position overcenter for locking the guard structure in either guarding or nonguarding position.

2. In a press, a head support movably mounted for moving a pressing head toward and away from a buck, a tiltable guard structure for controlling support movement, means for locking said guard structure in guarding position and said support in pressing position during pressing engagement, time controlled means for tilting the guard structure from guarding position and for releasing the support for head opening, said guard locking means including a structure movable overcenter, and a constraint means for maintaining a portion of the overcenter movable all) structure in either position overcenter for looking the guard structure in either guarding or non-guarding position, said overcenter movable structure including a cam lever member, and a follower member, the constraint means including a spring connected to the lever member.

3. In a press, a head support movably mounted for moving a pressing head toward and away from a buck, fluid pressure means for moving the support into head pressing position, valve means controlling the application, maintenance. and release of fluid pressure to and from said means, a manual control for said valve means to initiate fluid pressure application, time controlled means to initiate automatically the release of fluid pressure following expiration of the predetermined pressing interval, said time controlled means including an electric device, a switch controlling same normally in open circuit position when the head is open and in closed circuit position when the head is closed or in buck engagement, and means operable by the device for valve means operation for fluid pressure release after a predetermined pressing interval has elapsed.

4. A press as defined by claim 3, characterized by said electric device including a motor driven toothed member and the last mentioned means including a cooperating toothed structure.

5. A press as defined by claim 3, characterized by said electric device including a motor driven toothed member and the last mentioned means including a cooperating toothed structure, the toothed member comprising a gear and the structure including a segmental gear with a rack extension.

6. A press as defined by claim 3, characterized by said electric device including a motor driven toothed member and the last mentioned means including a cooperating toothed structure, the toothed member comprising a gear and the structure including a segmental gear with a rack extension, and an articulated support arranged for partial collapse and yieldingly constrained thereagainst.

'7. A press as defined by claim 3, characterized by said electric device including a motor driven toothed member and the last mentioned means including a cooperating toothed structure, the toothed structure being tiltably mounted and movable toward the toothed member for engagement therewith when the head is moved into buck engagement.

8. A press as defined by claim 3, characterized by said electric device including a motor driven toothed member and the last mentioned means including a cooperating toothed structure, the toothed structure being tiltably mounted and movable toward the toothed member for engagement therewith when the head is moved into buck engagement, the toothed member comprising a gear and the structure including a segmental gear with a rack extension.

9. A press as defined by claim 3, characterized by said electric device including a motor driven toothed member and the last mentioned means including a cooperating toothed structure, the toothed structure being tiltably mounted and movable toward the toothed member for engagement therewith when the head is moved into buck engagement, and an articulated support arranged for partial collapse and yieldingly constrained thereagainst.

10. In a garment press having a movable support for a head, the combination of a manual control pivotally supported by the head support and controlling head movement into open and closed positions, a cam lever pivotally supported on the support and normally subject to constraint, a follower carried by the control and engaging said lever for yieldingly holding the control in one of two positions corresponding to head open and head closed positions, a timing device operatively associated with the control for tilting the control in opposition to the constraint to effect control operation, and means carried by the support, and normally in inoperative condition when the support and head are positioned for non-pressing and in operative condition when the support and head are positioned for pressing, to operate said timing device to move the control to effect automatic movement of the support and head into non-pressing position.

11. In a pressing machine having a pressing head and a buck, a movable head carrying means, pressure means for moving the said carrying means with the head into and out of pressing relation with the buck, a control for the pressure means, an actuator, pivoted for limited oscillation upon and relative to the head carrying means and also movable with the latter, for operating the control, said actuator extending about the front of the head and slightly below the pressing surface of the head when moved to the downward end of its oscillation to effect the closing of HARRY D. FORSE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,609,909 Lewis Dec. 7, 1926 1,641,131 Baker Aug. 30, 1927 1,851,484 Bausman Mar. 29, 1932 1,957,250 Davis May 1, 1934 2,032,189 stilling Feb. 25, 1936 2,035,791 Davis Mar. 31-, 1936 2,037,550 Visscher Apr. 14, 1936 2,050,619 Malott Aug. 11, 1936 2,171,235 Gates et al. Aug. 29, 1939 2,292,380 Kersten Aug. 11, 1942 

